Planting Mangroves Bears Fruit

Four years later, the leaders of the ADD feel their goals have been achieved. Today, where mangroves have been water, the characteristics of mangrove trees grew and multiplied, to the delight of the inhabitants of Le Morne, especially fishermen.

One of the initiators of the project, Subiraj Sok Appadu, former director of the meteorological station of Vacoas, recalls that ADD was founded by a team of people with extensive experience in the field of environment.

"Several of us were having worked at the meteorological station and we were supported by others who have experience in biodiversity," he notes. Thus the ADD has worked closely with the Ministry of Fisheries and the Agro-industry first to launch this project. The association has also received financial support from the Decentralised Cooperation Programme, funded by the European Union and Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) Fund.

Subiraj Sok Appadu contends that Morne, a total of 50,000 mangrove trees were planted over an area of five hectares. " We were also helped by the District Council of Black River and the village council Morne , he says. However, we had to pay people to bring water to the mangroves . "

One of the greatest satisfactions spokesman of ADD is that the project has not been subject to vandalism " because some people, he laments, are against the planting of mangroves. They think they attract pests such as rats and crows . Others say that these plants blocking their view. "However, Subiraj Sok Appadu and other members of the ADD are themselves convinced of the many benefits mangroves.

Our interlocutor advance that issue was that these plants also serve as a tourist attraction, but it requires the support of hotels in the region. Given the success of this first experiment, the ADD has embarked on similar projects Quatre-Soeurs, Poudre-d’Or and now Petite-Rivière-Noire.